EDC Required Brightness Poll

MX421 · Nov 16, 2016

Hello All,

Did a quick search and of the search results, the only post that was close was a more detailed look at required lumens here:
http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb/showthread.php?337277-How-many-lumens-is-enough-lumens

But that thread focussed on how many was required for each task, thus can be planned around and a special light carried for each if desired

However looking at an every day carry (EDC) light, how many lumens (for the high end) do you typically require?
A couple of other questions:
How long have you been into the "newer flashlight technology?
Is the polled level based on normal needs where you could use a brighter light, but choose not to because of additional light size required to achieve higher levels?

Just curious.

Me,

I've been back into flashlights for about a year and a half now. I have a few small bright lights that top out around 1000ish lumens (because that was the technology level when i stepped back in) and I've used that level from time to time. Every time i try to see if i can do without, i yearn for the higher lumens when i don't have them on hand. I have the feeling

MAD777 · Nov 16, 2016

The definition of EDC can be quite different among users. But, for a single 18650 size light without an enlarged head, I have 2,500 lumen flashlights.

Of course there are never "enough" lumens

MX421 · Nov 16, 2016

Hmm,

I guess by EDC, i mean carry on your body with you on a consistant basis, but you are right, for some this may mean sleeping with the light as well...lol.

staticx57 · Nov 16, 2016

Lately my EDC has been a zebralight SC600Fd III plus which is a very small 18650 light that puts out 1500 lumens. It also has many modes for when runtime is a priority so you just turn down the brightness.

Today I am carrying an Astrolux SC41 which is a quad nicha 219B which puts out close to that number at the emitter with some lost due to the optics. It also supports 18350 cells which can make it much smaller.

AVService · Nov 16, 2016

I carry 1aa lights as my EDC and I find that 40 to 200 is about right for my daily stuff.
I work in racks,closets,attics and crawl spaces much of the time and once I am acclimated to the darkness I am fine with under 200l and easily blinded when I use more than I need.

Other variables are the type of beam the light throws and Tint or CRI and I try to carry both a thrower and a flood all the time so that I am covered regardless and I also prefer Neutral tint lights at all times,especially when working with wiring which I do every day.

When outside or camping of course there is no limit and I am not sure there are enough lumens but I am usually just fine with my basic EDC if that is what I have,and I do.

I have lived a lot of life with Maglites too and they were just fine until I went more modern,lit is tough to go back.

I have been into this for a long time and the longer I am at it the less output I need but I also need it more often!

Getting old sucks for the eyes!

MX421 · Nov 16, 2016

staticx57 said:
Lately my EDC has been a zebralight SC600Fd III plus which is a very small 18650 light that puts out 1500 lumens. It also has many modes for when runtime is a priority so you just turn down the brightness.

Today I am carrying an Astrolux SC41 which is a quad nicha 219B which puts out close to that number at the emitter with some lost due to the optics. It also supports 18350 cells which can make it much smaller.

Yeah, I carry at least two lights with a SC63w pretty much not getting left behind these days and am in the same boat. In my mind though, its the same lumens as my SC62w, thereofre the 1000 lumen limit should have probably been 2000. Can't change the poll now...

archimedes · Nov 16, 2016

Typically for EDC, I like to have outputs around 5 & 50-ish lumens .... Although that would cover probably > 90% of my common usage, it is nice to have a max output of 200 or 300 lumens available, too

bykfixer · Nov 16, 2016

archimedes said:
Typically for EDC, I like to have outputs around 5 & 50-ish lumens .... Although that would cover probably > 90% of my common usage, it is nice to have a max output of 200 or 300 lumens available, too

Can I copy that?
My thoughts exactly. 200-300 is a great max at night for my needs but sometimes I need to compete with the sun so 600 or so comes in handy in the day sometimes.

ncgrass · Nov 16, 2016

I enjoy using my hds 140 for edc. Or even a microstream. I usually need it for dark store rooms where lower lumens are fine or up close where lower lumens is ideal.

Never hurts to have access to the high put however. I Jussi don't live carrying multi cell lights on my belt/in my pocket. No problem throwing them in my back pack

GoBlue · Nov 16, 2016

I have to say for my needs 100 or so with good throw does very well, and I have never needed more than that. I would rather have that level with more runtime, than 300-500 lumens with less.
I am just curious, you guys who use 1000+ lumens, what are you using that for?

richbuff · Nov 16, 2016

Always have: Keychain light/pocket dangler: Olight S2 Baton, 1,000 lumens.

Also always have: Daytime edc: Acebeam EC50vn 3,100 lumens. This will soon be replaced or supplemented by the P60vn 4 x XHP35 with 4 x 18350 body, 7,200 lumens.

Nighttime: I always carry the Fenix TK75vnQ70 16,700 lumens. On my nightly six mile walk, I have this and the Acebeam K70vn, 2,400 lumens.

I like lots of flood light up close, and sufficient spot light far away. I wait for the Acebeam X565 to give me some of both.

MX421 · Nov 16, 2016

richbuff said:
Always have: Keychain light/pocket dangler: Olight S2 Baton, 1,000 lumens.

I have an S2 (and a S30, same thing) and i gotta say...A KEYCHAIN LIGHT?!? :crackup:

More power to you (so to speak). Seeing your other lights though i understand. Yup, I should have set that last bar at 1500 lumens.

Grijon · Nov 17, 2016

I EDC a Fenix E05 on my keychain; it's the only light I truly EDC, because it's on my keychain. 95+% of its use is on the lowest setting, ~5 lumens.

I intend to EDC a .5-1-lumen light when I find the right one, and the keychain E05 will become a backup; as often as not I find the 5 lumens much more than I need. (I'm also a tint snob these days :laughing

Now when I go out for a flashlight walk, I may take as many as nine lights with thousands of lumens! And in general use I enjoy 15 to 50 to 500 to 1000+ lumens. But the poll asked what I need from my EDC.

AVService · Nov 17, 2016

Grijon said:
I EDC a Fenix E05 on my keychain; it's the only light I truly EDC, because it's on my keychain. 95+% of its use is on the lowest setting, ~5 lumens.

I intend to EDC a .5-1-lumen light when I find the right one, and the keychain E05 will become a backup; as often as not I find the 5 lumens much more than I need. (I'm also a tint snob these days :laughing

Now when I go out for a flashlight walk, I may take as many as nine lights with thousands of lumens! And in general use I enjoy 15 to 50 to 500 to 1000+ lumens. But the poll asked what I need from my EDC.

"Flashlight Walk"?

I think we are not supposed to let out that we exercise our lights?
Others will know we are strange!

I try to take a dog with me for cover if I can.

This is a great one!

MAD777 · Nov 17, 2016

AVService said:
...
I try to take a dog with me for cover if I can....

Post of the week right there!

eh4 · Nov 17, 2016

The H600w MK II with H type pocket clip reinforced by marine heat shrink tubing has served as pocket edc for over two years now.
H1 is the one click default, and it serves for quickly looking at darkened areas with sunlight adjusted eyes, and for looking far at night. I double click it to H2 if I end up using it for longer periods of time.
The usual case is to click twice and access M1 from off, for general utility at night.
Single click-hold for L1, or programmed L2 is the second most used setting, used any old time that I need to see something better at night without ruining my night eyes too bad.

That's the front pocket light.

I have also settled on a Thrunite Ti3 for a necklace light, it gets most of the late night utility usage, and I always know where it is.
Not my ideal AAA light, but for the levels and run times, low mass and volume, neutral tint, beam pattern, and cost, it wins out for me. I wish they'd make a slightly more robust version -at the head end;
I'd gladly pay more.

AAA & 18650 cover the edc bases very well imo.

iamlucky13 · Nov 17, 2016

I already knew I don't quite fit in here, but here goes:

I've bought several lights intended for EDC, including an E01, E05, and CR2016 powered Microlight. I find I don't actually care to EDC any of them.

The thing is, I'm very comfortable in the dark. Living in a semi-rural area, it never gets what I consider truly dark. The only time I can't walk around comfortably in my yard by glow of the neighbor's yard light 100 yards away is if everybody loses power in a big storm. When I'm in the city, I even sometimes forget to turn my headlights on because the streetlights seem so bright.

So instead of EDC'ing, I stash the lights in convenient places to grab when I've got an actual task to do that requires more than just enough light not to trip - a light in my backpack, a light in my car, a light in the kitchen drawer, etc.

That said, when I am doing an actual task, I like to have the option to shine at least 50 lumens, which is enough to see all but the finest details at arm's length, or tell what the ground is like a half dozen steps or so ahead so I can jog comfortably if desired.

So I debated between the less than 1 lumen and the 50-150 lumen options, and picked the latter. If I did actually EDC a light, that's what I'd want.

I've had LED flashlights for a decade or so, but I only got into nice lights 2-3 years ago, because I was frustrated by the inconsistent performance of cheap, resistor controlled lights, which tend to be pretty useful on fully charged batteries, but could be a small fraction of their original brightness with half a charge still left. Discovering the voltage boosting, current regulated lights that few brick and mortar stores sell completely changed my outlook on LED flashlights.

bykfixer · Nov 17, 2016

iamlucky13 said:
I already knew I don't quite fit in here, but here goes:

I've bought several lights intended for EDC, including an E01, E05, and CR2016 powered Microlight. I find I don't actually care to EDC any of them.

The thing is, I'm very comfortable in the dark. Living in a semi-rural area, it never gets what I consider truly dark. The only time I can't walk around comfortably in my yard by glow of the neighbor's yard light 100 yards away is if everybody loses power in a big storm. When I'm in the city, I even sometimes forget to turn my headlights on because the streetlights seem so bright.

So instead of EDC'ing, I stash the lights in convenient places to grab when I've got an actual task to do that requires more than just enough light not to trip - a light in my backpack, a light in my car, a light in the kitchen drawer, etc.

That said, when I am doing an actual task, I like to have the option to shine at least 50 lumens, which is enough to see all but the finest details at arm's length, or tell what the ground is like a half dozen steps or so ahead so I can jog comfortably if desired.

So I debated between the less than 1 lumen and the 50-150 lumen options, and picked the latter. If I did actually EDC a light, that's what I'd want.

I've had LED flashlights for a decade or so, but I only got into nice lights 2-3 years ago, because I was frustrated by the inconsistent performance of cheap, resistor controlled lights, which tend to be pretty useful on fully charged batteries, but could be a small fraction of their original brightness with half a charge still left. Discovering the voltage boosting, current regulated lights that few brick and mortar stores sell completely changed my outlook on LED flashlights.

Actually you fit in well here.

Grijon · Nov 19, 2016

AVService said:
"Flashlight Walk"?

I think we are not supposed to let out that we exercise our lights?
Others will know we are strange!

I try to take a dog with me for cover if I can.

This is a great one!

Flashaholic and unashamed!

...and I think most people think I'm strange, anyways :laughing:

dmattaponi · Nov 21, 2016

I got my first "tactical" flashlight when I bought a few Surefire in the mid 2000s. At that time Surefire was advertising their 60lumen lights as being blindingly great for self defense purposes. I've always since then used that 60 lumens as a benchmark.

EDC Required Brightness Poll

How many Lumens do you require in your EDC?

less than 1 lumen, anthing more is left to the sun

>1 but < 50 lumen, anyhing more and i go for the light switch

>50 but less than 150 lumens, A nice medim level, and just as bright as my maglight

>150 but <1000 Why not? Light size change isn't that dramatic

>1000 What does weight matter, its all about burning retinas

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